Professional Documents
Culture Documents
New Regulations effective 29th Aug 14 - You may now extend your free 30 day entry by up
to a further 30 days at any immigration office in Thailand for a fee of 1900 baht. Always
check the date on your entry stamp when you enter the country. Do not stay beyond the
permitted to stay date (fine = 500 baht per day). If during your stay in Thailand the police
check your passport and find you have overstayed, you will be treated as an illegal alien and
may spend a night or two in a cell before being deported to your home country and
blacklisted from Thailand. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/429056/tourists-get-
extended-visas
60 Day Mutiple Entry and other types of Visa Now available through the Thai Consulate
in Sydney (and probably from other local consulates) before leaving home:
http://www.thaiconsulatesydney.org/Home/visa
https://smartraveller.gov.au/countries/thailand#entry_and_exit
Warning - New rules with severe penalties for Overstayers are now in force:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/thailand-overstayers-face-tougher-penalties-rules-posted-
phuket-immigration-21939/
There are 2 main immigration offices in Phuket where you can extend or make visa enquiries.
If heading north to Khao Lak, there is a mobile immigration office next to Jai Restaurant
(on the main road) every Wednesday from 10am to 3pm.
Airport Arrival and Departure Tax Nil, now included in the price or your airline ticket.
Call Centres For Tourists (before you leave home) - The Tourism Authority of Thailand
(TAT) has set up a number of international telephone hotlines to help foreign visitors get
updated 24-hour tourism information and have their queries answered about any aspect of
travel and tourism to and within Thailand.
United Kingdom - Tel: +442033550430 or 02033550430
USA - Tel: +15166196810 or 5166196810
Australia - Tel: +61280147129 or 0280147129
The calls will be charged at the local rate for the callers regardless of whether they are calling
from a landline or mobile phone. Thanks to November12010 -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293915-i3686-k3854391-
Call_Centers_For_Tourists-Thailand.html
Flight times - Jetstar is the only airline flying direct between Melbourne/Phuket and
Sydney/Phuket - (Virgin no long flies direct Perth/Phuket, but now operates code share
flights with Singapore Airlines, flying: Perth/Singapore then onto Phuket with Silk Air).
All times were obtained from official airline sites, but are approximate (including transit and
stopover times if applicable) and may change at any time. Direct flights home to Australia are
usually a bit quicker because of a tail wind.
Jetstar - Sydney/Phuket direct (3 days per week) 9 hrs 15 minutes.
Jetstar Melbourne/Phuket direct (3 days per week) 9 hrs 10 minutes.
Jetstar now also flies Sydney/Melbourne/Singapore/Phuket (final leg via Jetstar Asia)
obviously much longer.
Other Jetstar alternatives are Melbourne/Sydney/Phuket, or Sydney/Melbourne/Phuket
(depends on the day).
Jetstar Perth/Phuket via Singapore From 10 hrs 10 mins depending on connections.
Singapore/Virgin Airlines Perth/Phuket via Singapore From 8hrs 25 mins depending on
connections.
Air Asia Perth/Phuket via Kuala Lumpur From 13hr 50 mins depending on connections.
Malaysia Airlines flies to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur.
Thai Airlines flies to Phuket via Bangkok.
Tiger Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Scoot fly to Phuket via Singapore.
Air Asia flies from Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur.
Other airlines (Qantas, etc) fly into Bangkok or Singapore and you then transfer onto a local
flight to Phuket). Times vary depending on connections in transit cities. Most are from 13 to
18 hours (some may require an overnight stop in the transit city).
If changing flights or airlines when in transit, check your arrival & departure flights are
from the same airport or terminal (and confirm that your luggage is checked all the way
through and whether you will have to go through customs/immigration between flights).
Jetstar Baggage (flights to Asia): Checked baggage;
Jetsaver Light No free allowance (fee applies for checked baggage).
Jetsaver & Jetflex 15 or 20kg
Business Class (formerly Star Class) - 30kg (careful, they now have 2 levels of business class
- one gives you use of the Qantas Business Club/Lounge and F/F points, the other doesnt).
Carry-on baggage; Most flights are now limited to 7kg Check your carry-on baggage
carefully, if overweight or oversize, it can cost you up to AU$160 to check it in at the airport:
http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/planning-and-booking/baggage/carry-on-
baggage?utm_source=jetmail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20150518_TAFFF_au
Virgin Australia: Checked baggage (depends on the type of ticket);
Check at: http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/plan/baggage/checked-baggage/
Virgin Carry-on baggage; 7kg on all flights
Note: Jetstar and Virgin (and most other airlines) will usually let you share your checked
baggage allowance between two people (but normally only if both bookings are on the same
booking reference). Checked baggage and excess baggage pre-booked and paid for when
booking your flight is usually much cheaper than the rates at the check-in counter.
Dangerous and Prohibited Items: Different rules apply to carry-on and checked luggage.
Check: http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_100515
Travelling Safely With Batteries - https://www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/travelling-safely-
batteries
Carry-on Gels, Liquids and Aerosols are also subject to the 100 mil rule.
Check: http://travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au/international/lags/index.aspx#anc_quantity
Excess Baggage - Posting Parcels To Australia From Phuket - Varies depending on contents
- about AU$130 for 20kg (Surface Air Lifted)
http://www.thailandpost.com/index.php?page=rate_result&country_code=AU&weight=2000
0
Luggage Storage In Patong - Close to Jungceylon Shopping Center Lockers with
dimensions 1 x 1 x 1 m. Suitable for left luggage and smaller objects, can hold 4 medium
moving boxes. http://www.mystorageasia.com/units/units.aspx
Luggage Storage at Phuket Airport - Inside the terminal immediately next to the SixT Car
Rental Counter 80b per item per day.
Travel & Medical Insurance Dont leave home without it !! We usually space our
holidays about 11 months apart that way we can purchase an annual insurance policy and
it covers two or more trips. If you cant afford insurance, you cant afford to travel !
Be Warned: If you are injured whilst (a) under the influence of alcohol, (b) driving a
car or motor cycle without the correct licence, or (c) riding a motor cycle without a
helmet, your insurance claim will normally be rejected.
Most complaints about travel insurance are caused by people not reading the Product
Disclosure Statement (PDS) carefully. Make sure you understand what you are (and are not)
covered for. Read the conditions carefully and ask the company for clarification if necessary.
Remember: verbal conversations are not worth the paper they are written on
GET IT IN WRITING
Insurance Companies you may like to consider:
http://www.insureandgo.com.au/ Overall, the cheapest I can find (may vary depending on age).
https://good2gotravelinsurance.com.au/ Good rates for some annual/multi-trip policies.
http://www.medibank.com.au/travel-insurance/default.aspx
http://www.covermore.com.au/
http://www.allianz.com.au/travel-insurance/
http://www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au/
http://auspost.com.au/finance-insurance/get-travel-insurance-quote.html
http://www.scti.com.au/
http://boomerstravelinsurance.com.au/ - No age limits, but (for a single) I found cheaper
insurance elsewhere.
https://www.acetravelinsurance.com.au/#
Now Available INSTANT THAILAND TRAVEL INSURANCE ONLINE
http://www.thailandretirementhelpers.com/thailand-travel-insurance-online/
Scoot Airlines Insurance - Scoot passengers only: http://www.scootprotect.com/
Healthcare - Phuket has a wide range of good quality healthcare facilities. Health Tourism
is one of the attractions, and for a much lower price than most western countries you can
avoid waiting lists and receive private treatment. The two major private hospitals on the
island are:
A local Expat has advised me that where possible, he would only use Mission Hospital in
Phuket as the others are prone to charge extremely high fees to non locals.
http://www.missionhospitalphuket.com/English/english_index.html - Details below:
etc, etc.
I am allergic to nuts I am allergic to shellfish.
Some more useful food translations:
http://www.thailand4kids.com/webdata/downloads/holdups.pdf
Peanut and Mango Allergies Check here for translation:
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g297914-i10908-k8136127-Peanut_Allergy-
Khao_Lak_Phang_Nga_Province.html
Full discussion here: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g293915-i3686-k6601803-
Peanut_allergy-Thailand.html
Restaurants and Bars - Prices etc: No matter where we ate, the food was consistently
good. The prices varied but every single dish we ate was to our satisfaction. We dont
particularly like seafood, so the prices below may be a little less than what you may pay. In
general, most street restaurants (not street stalls) have chicken and pork dishes ranging from
85 to 125 baht, plus another 25 to 50 baht for the same dish with beef or seafood. And yes
you can pay less and you can pay a lot more. I am generalising in accordance with my
personal taste and experience. Street stall food is cheaper (maybe 50 to 100 baht per dish).
Markets normally sell spring rolls and chicken pieces etc, from 10 baht per piece upwards.
Food Hygiene: Hot freshly cooked street food (served on clean plates) may be more hygienic
than a big hotel buffet that has been sitting barely warm for a number of hours. The safe
storage temperature for food is below 4 degrees C or above 60 degrees C. Some hotel buffets
are not maintained within that safe temperature zone. Look for where the locals eat!
Cheap Drinking: Barring major hotels and large resorts, beer and cocktails are relatively
inexpensive in bars and restaurants, but due to local taxes, wine is very expensive. Chang
beer is cheap and quite palatable. Singha beer is maybe 10% dearer. Look out for bars that
have happy hours usually between 5-7pm with discounts up to 50% off (or sometimes buy
one get one free). Note: Accepting free drinks from anyone in Thailand is just as risky as it
is at home!
Looking to buy wine in Phuket? Check: http://wineconnection.co.th located in Jungceylon
Shopping Center.
Unless asked for payment when served, its usual for a bar to put your tab in a glass in front
of you. They total the tabs and you pay your bill when ready to leave. You may like to check
each tab as its received as some are known to overcharge (or place extra tabs in your glass).
Buy supplies from the 7-11 or supermarket to take back to your hotel (be careful its up to
6.4%). Update May 2016 Chang now 36/37 baht per bottle in 7-11s - Singa/Tiger 38b per
bottle or you can buy a slab of 24 for around 32 baht per can.
Update May 2016: Due to new liquor regulations, many suppliers will now only serve/sell
alcohol between 11am and 2pm and 5pm and 11pm daily. It may pay to shop around at
3pm we were knocked back in 2 stores but served in the third
Spicy Food Thai food usually comes as: Spicy, Medium, or Not Spicy. If you dont want it
hot just say kor mai phed (not spicy please) or just mai ped (with a shake of the head), or
ped nik noy (a little bit spicy). Be warned we like very hot food at home we found their
medium was usually equal to or just a little hotter than what we would class as very hot.
Other Food Dont worry if you dont like spicy food, there are plenty of fast food
outlets, and if you check T/A for food reviews you will find plenty of restaurants specialising
in: Chinese, French, German, Indian, International, Italian, Seafood, Steak, Swiss, Pizza, etc.
Cheap Food - Patong In the basement of Jung Ceylon shopping centre (very close to
Bangla Rd) there is a food court with around 8 or 10 stalls. You buy a cash card at the cashier
counter (I bought a 500 baht card about AU$20) and then go to each stall and pick what
you want - hand them the card and they swipe it. When you finish your food, take the card
back to the cashier and they refund your change. We pigged out from 3 different stalls.
Spring Rolls 80bht Larb Gai 65bht Boiled Rice 20bht Beef Pad Thai 50bht Thai
Omelette 20bht. The food was fantastic and every dish was prepared fresh (they even rolled
the spring rolls in front of us). Note: The Jung Ceylon centre contains 200 shops plus a large
department store, supermarket, restaurants, a night club and entertainment complex (5
cinemas and a bowling alley). For a good cup of coffee or western-style snack try Black
Canyon (they have a chain of about 200 outlets throughout Thailand).
http://www.phuket.com/shopping/jungceylon.htm
http://www.phuket101.net/2010/12/jungceylon-shopping-mall-patong-phuket.html
Note: I visited the food court again in July 2013, 2014 and 2015 and thought it was much
more expensive but still novel and very handy for a quick feed.
Suggestion Do some shopping in Jung Ceylon shopping centre and the Thats Siam
handicrafts centre in the basement, then head into the food court for an early snack/dinner,
then out into Bangla Rd to the famed Aussie Bar for a couple of drinks. Try to get a seat
upstairs at the front overlooking the street (take your camera) and you can spend an enjoyable
hour or so watching the freak show pass by. Good clean entertainment (and clean toilets) ...
and the foods ok. It cost around AU$8 for 2 drinks (a beer and a bacardi & coke).
http://www.aussiebarphuket.com
Cheap car parking is available about 5 minutes from Bangla Rd in the basement of Jung
Ceylon Shopping Centre (keep your shopping receipts to get free or reduced parking fees).
Risque Night Life Bangla Rd Patong is closed to traffic at night and
is full of bars, restaurants, go-go girls, ladyboys/katoeys (see photo),
bar girls, ping-pong shows (use your imagination), etc, but is regularly patrolled by police
and is recognised as being quite safe if you behave yourself. If you stop to have your photo
taken with any of the inhabitants (or take close-up photos of them) you may be expected to
pay dont argue, just pay. The going rate is 100 to 200 baht for each person you are
photographed with (5 ladyboys = minimum 500 baht, or 2 of you and 1 ladyboy = 200 baht).
http://www.knowphuket.com/naughtynightlife.htm
http://www.phuket.com/nightlife/bangla.htm
Warning: Dont have your photo taken with any wildlife (monkeys, lizards, birds, etc), its
expensive, probably illegal, and contributes greatly to the demand for (and capture of) baby
animals. Note: In many cases, the parent animal has to be killed to separate it from its baby.
http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-tourists-warned-about-illegal-slow-loris-
touts/20435#ad-image-0
No Photos with Gibbons please! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293920-i5037-
k6013963-GIBBONS_No_photos_in_the_street_please_JBR_part_2-Phuket.html
Tipping Not necessary but a small tip (for good service) is certainly appreciated. Many
will argue over this, but most expat locals advise to give no more than 20 baht in a normal
street restaurant. A local restaurant owner I know (a Kiwi) told me he never tips in any
restaurant that has a service charge on the bill at the most, just leave any loose coins
change The service charge should be shared between the staff . Some restaurants will
suggest tipping American style (15% or 20%) - forget it, most will be charging a service
charge which should cover the tip.
Tip 50 Baht to a masseuse and about 100 Baht for a guide, but only if the service was good.
Its not necessary to tip hotel staff. However, at the end of my stay, I usually leave around
25bht per day for the girl who cleans our hotel room (up to a maximum of 200bht providing
the job has been done well). Personally, I dont tip in advance as I then consider it to be a
bribe. In bars, change normally arrives in 20 baht notes, so maybe leave 20 baht as a tip.
Check all prices carefully before purchasing or consuming (if it says ++ it means plus 10%
service charge, plus 7% government tax). Note: most hotel/resort restaurants charge ++
most street restaurants do not charge ++.
Timeshare & Holiday Club Touts Normally young people fluent in English (sometimes
two of them, on motor cycles). Thell usually pull up in front of you and as you walk past say
hello, how are you or where are you from (they are not being polite, they are trying to
make you comfortable and suck you in. This leads to them giving you a lucky draw
scratchy which can lead to offering you a free holiday, t-shirt, or meal (and taxi-ride)
providing you waste several hours at their timeshare presentation. They are very high
pressure, and if you dont buy, youll probably end up paying for the cab back to your hotel.
When they approach, just say no thanks, Im going home tonight, then keep walking.
Theyre a real pain in the a-se even worse than the tailors! Likewise, if a so-called student
asks you to complete a survey (theyre only after your contact details), just keep walking.
Interested in Timeshare? ... Forget it Its the biggest rip-off in Thailand. Read about it
here: http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/club-absolute-c299544.html Note: I
recently encountered Absolute timeshare sales people with a display setup inside Phuket
airport and also at the Big Buddha entrance makes you wonder about Payola.
Timeshare Crackdown - http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-time-share-crackdown-
checks-resorts-touts-blacklist-suggested-22677/
Dont shake hands with anybody on the street. Its usually a ploy to get you to stop and they
may then try and drag you into their shop (whilst refusing to let go of your hand). Dont
respond to greetings of ozi, ozi, ozi or gday mate etc. They are not trying to be your
friend they are trying to sell you something.
Tailors Most have touts at the front of their stores and are very persistent. If you want a
good tailor I can recommend Niphons Rich Collection - check their website at
www.instylefashion.com They make good clothes that fit, and do not haggle. I recently had
one business suit, plus one jacket, plus one sports trousers and two shirts tailor made for
around AU$500 less than a quarter of what I would expect to pay for the same tailor-made
clothes at home - and everything looks and fits great. Order early as I had one initial measure,
two fittings, and a final try-on/pickup. They will pick you up from your hotel if you wish and
on the final night they picked us up from our hotel, drove us to their store for my final try-on
and payment, then delivered the clothes back to our hotel whilst we went straight to dinner.
Weddings Thinking of getting married (or renewing your wedding vows) in Thailand? For
details contact: Katie Wellington (an Aussie!) at www.royalweddingphuket.com
Wedding Celebrant & Master of Ceremonies - http://celebrantphuket.com/
Various Wedding Packages - http://www.phuket-travel-secrets.com/phuket-wedding.html
Resorts with all-inclusive weddings: http://www.phuket-travel-secrets.com/all-inclusive-
weddings.html
Phuket Sunset Weddings - https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g297930-i9925-
k9748423-Renewing_Wedding_Vows_Phuket_Sunset_Weddings-
Patong_Kathu_Phuket.html
Photographer In Phuket Creative photography for events, editorial photo shoots,
weddings, portraits, holiday memories and many more types of photography in Phuket.
http://www.ginasmithphotography.com - Highly recommended on T/A
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g293920-i5037-k9050598-
Gina_Smith_Photography_Delighted_with_photos-Phuket.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g293920-i5037-k9141025-
Gina_Smith_Photography_exceptional_highly_recommended-Phuket.html
Makeup Hair and Styling services for: Beauty, Weddings, Editorial, Fashion, Photo
Shoots, Styling, TV & Film Productions. http://www.makeupartistphuket.com/services/
Reviews at: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g293920-i5037-k7919181-
Lisa_Allen_Makeup_Artist_review-Phuket.html
Wedding Musician/Band/DJ Highly recommended on T/A - Email:
franciscaldona11@yahoo.com Tel: +66874190247, Facebook: Francis Caldona, Facebook
Page: Francis Guitarist
Bucks and Hen Parties - Pre wedding celebrations, bucks and hens parties, etc.
http://thailandbucksandhens.com/phuket-bucksstags/
http://phuketbucksparties.com/
http://phuketstag.com/
http://phuketbachelors.com/thailand-bucks-and-hens/
Thinking of Retiring in Thailand? Check: http://australia.siam-legal.com/Thailand-
Retirement- -for-Australian-Citizens.php?gclid=COanscT_rMECFZeTvQoddh4Avw ... and
http://www.thailandretirementhelpers.com/optinwelcomegate and their Concierge Service at:
http://www.thailandretirementhelpers.com/thailand-concierge-service/
Thinking of Investing or Buying Property in Thailand? Check:
http://www.thailandretirementhelpers.com/thai-property-investment-scams/
Thinking of Volunteering In Thailand? - Its not as easy as you may think. Generally, you
cant just rock up and help out for a week or two and you normally require a Non-
Immigrant O Volunteer visa and a work permit.
In order to volunteer in Thailand you need to obtain an O visa and the charity you are
volunteering with needs to obtain a work permit for you. If you do not wish to make this full
time commitment you can still support charities like Phuket Has Been Good To Us a
number of ways: you can join in at PHBGTUs after school programme, Coconut Club,
where the children enjoy arts & crafts, sports and guitar workshops; run a fundraising event
in your community or with your friends; donate school supplies; if you run a business you
can donate a voucher for the fundraising events we organize. The Phuket Has Been Good
To Us foundation does NOT charge you to volunteer with us, we provide visa, work permit,
accommodation and use of a moped if you can commit to a minimum of 5 months.
For details on how to apply for the relevant visa see: http://www.thaiembassy.se/visa/types-
of-visa51 (this information is from the Thai Consulate in Sweden, but details should be
similar for other countries check with your local consulate). To see how the process works
for one organisation check: http://www.phukethasbeengoodtous.org/?page=Volunteer
Note: There are severe penalties for working/volunteering without the necessary visa/permits:
http://www.thaiworkpermit.com/working-illegally-in-thailand.html
The following organisations may have different legal requirements: I suggest you contact
them direct: http://soidog.org/en/volunteer/ and http://www.gibbonproject.org/volunteer/
Places & things I dont visit or do: (its your choice, make your own decisions)
The Phuket Zoo Reported to be scruffy and has a history of mistreating animals
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/fgs_1979
The Butterfly Farm or Museum Some like it, others think its decaying and miserable.
Rafting Many enjoy it but others report coming close to drowning
ATV tours Most people enjoy it some claim the operators attempted to charge them for
pre-existing damage to the vehicles. If you must go, photograph any damage before you ride.
Monkeys picking coconuts Mistreated animals. Sometimes beaten to make them perform.
Jet-Skiing Scammers
For further detailed information on Phuket, visit:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g293920-i5037-Phuket.html
http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com/ A wealth of information through the eyes of an ex-pat
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Thailand/Southern_Thailand/Phuket-
1444813/TravelGuide-Phuket.html
http://www.cathyandgarystravelpages.com/
http://bobandjanette.com/tips_phuket.html
http://www.knowphuket.com/practical.htm
http://phuketvogue.com/
http://www.phuket.com/info/phuket-airport.htm
http://www.phuket-travel-secrets.com/phuket-beaches.html - Info on Phuket beaches.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand - A virtual encyclopaedia of information on Thailand.
I thankfully acknowledge that some of the information in my cheat sheet has been
borrowed from the links above purely as a quick reference for you. I encourage you to visit
the above sites as they contain a wealth of useful information (far beyond the scope of my
pages).
My Comments: To me, Phuket is a magic place. Its not a Singapore or Hong Kong, but its
a lot like they were 20 or 30 years back. Its got all the comforts and amenities you could
want, but is still a bit on the primitive side. Sure the drains may stink in some streets, but
cross the road if it bothers you (they normally only have drains on one side ) and it has
one thing the rest of Asia doesnt have Thai people. The majority of them are gentle,
caring people and there are many stories of honesty and lost wallets/goods, etc being returned
... even reports of cab drivers saying dont worry when the passenger was a small amount
short of the full fare (try that in Sydney or Melbourne).
Scammers Yes you get them everywhere, but most Thais will go out of their way to
help you for nothing but good karma. If they dont respond or help, its often because they
dont speak good English.
My Philosophy - Bargaining is fun, but dont sweat the small stuff. Nobody likes to be
ripped-off, but keep it all in perspective. As a couple you probably pay up to AU$2000 for
your airfares, and around the same amount for accommodation and meals, so why bother
trying to screw some poor local for 50 cents or a dollar when it wont really make that much
difference to you or your all-up holiday costs ... and it may make their life just a little easier!
Smile Thailand is known as The Land Of Smiles Thais like friendly people who
smile at and with them they respond badly to displays of aggression and arguments they
see it as a weakness and losing face.
Dont ever threaten them they may gang up (particularly Lady Boys Bar Girls and
Tuk-Tuk drivers). However, they are usually funny people When I asked in a shop if
they had a shirt to fit me the reply was No elephant shirts here Note: They were being
funny, not purposely offensive (I only wear XL but thats Aussie XL not Thai XL).
To a Thai, admitting a mistake or a lack of knowledge is to lose face. They will often make a
joke instead (or point you in a random direction rather than admit they dont know the way),
and yes may sometimes mean yes I hear you, not yes, I understand or agree with you.
I always rent a car and have never seen road-rage in Thailand but, Thais think differently.
If you blast someone with your horn for cutting you off, he may get upset not for blasting
him, but for making him lose face. Just smile and continue on
If you do drive, remember that you will often be passed by motorcycles sometimes on
both sides at once and sometimes going in both directions at the same time often
without lights at night. Dont ever take your eyes off the road !
If you complain to a Thai in a loud voice, or argue with (or in front of) them, they will often
smile they are not laughing at you its more likely they are embarrassed by your
behaviour and unsure how to respond.
Remember If you raise your voice or lose your temper, you have lost the argument (along
with any support others may have given you).
Maps (many maps will enlarge if you click the bottom right corner).
Karon & Kata Beach http://phukhao.com/download/maps/Karon-Kata-map-1.gif
Karon & Kata Beach http://thaiwaysmagazine.com/phuket_map/phuket_map_kata.html
Kata & Kata Noi Beach http://patongbeachmaps.com/images/katamap900.jpg
Kok Chang Elephant Trekking http://www.kokchangsafari.com/location.html
Chalong Bay & Rawai Beach http://phukhao.com/download/maps/Chalong-Rawai-map-1.gif
Patong http://phuket.sawadee.com/patongmap_large.html
Patong http://thaiwaysmagazine.com/phuket_map/phuket_map_patong.html
Patong (Bangla Rd/Jungceylon/Otop etc) http://www.pocket-map.net/patong_beach_map.htm
Bangla Rd http://www.knowphuket.com/map_Bangla_Road.htm and:
Phuket Island http://phukhao.com/download/maps/Phuket-map-5.gif
Phuket Town http://phukhao.com/download/maps/Phuket-town-map-4.gif
Phuket Airport & Surrounds phuketindex.com/images/map/00457-map.gif
Phuket Beaches http://static.asiawebdirect.com/m/phuket/portals/phuket-maps-
com/homepage/allParagraphs/06/txthtmlText_files/file/phuket_island.gif
Khao Lak (North of Phuket) General Map
http://www.t3x.de/khaolak/Khao%20Lak%20General%20map%202015.png
Khao Lak North - Khuk Khak, Pak Weeb, Pakarang and Bangsak Hotels
http://www.t3x.de/khaolak/Khao%20Lak%20Nord%20%20Hotels%20April%202016.htm
Khao Lak Central
http://www.t3x.de/khaolak/Khao%20Lak%20Zentrum%20April%202016%20Hotel%20und
%20Rest.jpg
Khao Lak - Bang Niang
http://www.t3x.de/khaolak/Bang%20Niang%20map%20April%202016.jpg
Khao Lak South
http://www.t3x.de/khaolak/Khao%20Lak%20Sued%20April%202016%20Hotels.jpg
Khao Lak/Takua Pa - Bike/Tour Map http://www.t3x.de/khaolak/radund%20rollertouren.htm
Khao Lak - 7 different maps of the entire KL area http://www.t-globe.com/khao-lak-map
Phang Nga Province
http://www.t3x.de/khaolak/Phang%20Nga%20Provinz%20road%20map.jpg
Khao Lak Area General Information - http://www.t3x.de/adventure/mainpage.htm
My Accommodation Recommendations I usually choose to stay away from the rat-race
of Central Patong (but its good for a fun night out). So far Ive stayed at Kamala, Karon,
Kata, Rawai, Nai Thon, Tri-Trang, South Patong, and at 9 different hotels in Khao Lak on the
mainland (about 75 minutes north of Phuket airport) ... and all were great. My current
favourite location is Khao Lak. For more information read my personal reviews at:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/jjumpstart (yes, thats jjumpstart with 2 js
my fingers stuttered! ).
I have also compiled a 21 page Activities Sheet for Kids & Adults (entertainment, places
to go, places for kids to eat, etc). Email me at jeffray@tpg.com.au if you would like a copy.
My number one TIP Dont go home complaining DO YOUR RESEARCH read
the FAQs and Just Back Reports (JBRs) on T/A and if unsure, ask any questions
BEFORE YOU GO! Enjoy